UNITED NATIONS Iran’s president warned world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday that the goal of extremists creating chaos in the Mideast is the destruction of civilization and rise of Islamophobia.
Hassan Rouhani said the terrorists want to create “a fertile ground for further intervention of foreign forces in our region.”
In a wide-ranging speech, he also said a nuclear agreement is possible before the November deadline if the West wants a deal and shows flexibility.
He said an agreement would create a new day for cooperation in the region and internationally, including on combating violence and extremism.
Rouhani said many parts of the Middle East “are currently burning in fire of extremism and radicalism” and expressed deep regret that terrorism has become globalized.
Terrorism is now a threat “from New York to Mosul, from Damascus to Baghdad, from the easternmost to the westernmost parts of the world, from al-Qaeda to Daesh,” the Iranian leader said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State extremist group.
He said extremists come to the Middle East from around the world with a single ideology, “violence and extremism.”
“The extremists of the world have found each other and have put out the call: ‘extremists of the world unite,’ ” Rouhani said. “But are we united against the extremists?”
In what was seen as veiled reference to Israel and the United States, Rouhani blamed the rise of violent extremists on outside influences. “Certain intelligence agencies have put blades in the hand of madmen, who now spare no one,” Rouhani said.
“All those who have played a role in founding and supporting these terror groups must acknowledge their errors have led to extremism and apologize not only to the past generation but to the next generation.
He addressed the assembly as representatives from six major powers the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany continued nuclear talks on the sidelines of the meeting of world leaders.
Rouhani said it would also be “a historic opportunity” for the West to show it doesn’t discriminate on international rules, which allow Iran to have a peaceful nuclear program to produce energy.
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